GARDAI HUNT FOR ON-THE-RUN DAD WITH SON AGED 12

Safety order ruling as pair ‘flee’ abroad

GARDAI were last night hunting a dad who went missing from the school run with his 12-year-old son – as a safety order was granted against him.

It’s feared the man, who can’t be named, has fled from Ennis, Co Clare, back to his home in mainland Europe.

A solicitor for the boy’s mother told the Family Law Court in Ennis how the father had returned from overseas and asked for access to the child on Wednesday.

However, Frank Doherty said the worried mum alerted gardai after her son failed to arrive at school yesterday. Mr Doherty added: “He is now gone with the child and he hasn’t contacted the boy’s mother or the gardai to advise where the child is.”

The man had travelled back to Ireland to be at the family court where his ex-wife was seeking a Safety Order against him.

Already this year, officers have issued an adult caution to the man after he daubed graf- fiti and erected signs around his ex-partner’s house and glued the lock on her home.

Mr Doherty added: “These were signs that were to intimidate the woman and to let her know that her husband was in the locality.”

The solictor told Judge Durcan the woman “is afraid of this man” and “due to the violent relationship the woman left her native country”.

Mr Doherty said a similar three-year Safety Order application had been granted to the woman in her home country.

Judge Durcan said that he would grant the Safety Order for three years.